


Boxed In

by Crollalanza



Series: Marshmallows, Siblings and Drums [6]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 10:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6001881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/Crollalanza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saeko hadn't meant to spy Keishin, and it was clear he hadn't known she was going to be there. And she could just forget about it, but he'd ducked into a jewellery shop ... on Valentine's Day ... and they had a date tonight.</p>
<p>Most girls would be thrilled, but Saeko ain't most girls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boxed In

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this for an advent prompt in 2014, but never posted it to A03. I've updated it and Valentised it for y'all. Enjoy!
> 
> This is part of the Marshmallows series, following on from The Beat of a Drum, but it's not essential to read that (although it might help you understand Saeko's motivation a bit better).

It wasn’t like Saeko had been spyin’ on him, or nothin’ like that. She’d not even realised he was gonna be in that part of town when she’d been on her way to work, but as she sped round the corner (too sharp and too fast, she knew, but she was late for work) she spied Keishin walking along, hands deep in his jacket pockets (he never wore gloves) and had slowed down. About to catcall him, maybe shout out ‘Nice Ass’ as she drove past, she was only prevented from doing so when he abruptly disappeared into a shop.

A jewellery shop.

_Oh!_

It wasn’t her birthday for another three months, so unless he’d suddenly got himself organised (which she doubted) he must be buying something for another reason.

Her mouth gaped open. They had a date tonight. A date he’d suggested last night, when she looked back, quite insistent about it.  

On Valentine’s Day.

(“Uh, I thought we weren’t that kinda couple, Keish?” she’d muttered, thinking guiltily about the fact that the pretty candies she was _supposed_ to make for her ‘sweetheart’ were a mass of grainy gloop ‘cause she’d microwaved the chocolate too long and it had separated out then burnt. It had burnt so bad that even Ryuu and Yuu and refused to eat it, and was now a hardened lump at the bottom of the trash can.

“Nah, we ain’t,” he’d replied, stretching out his arm over her shoulders and bringing her close so he could peck her cheek. “But I got a free evenin’ as Mom’s mindin’ the store, and you ain’t workin’ so why not?”)

And yeah, she’d agreed, ‘cause she wasn’t gonna argue with logic like that or turn down the opportunity of eatin’ in a fancy restaurant. 

(“Sure you can afford this?” she’d asked.

“Nothin’s too much for you...  Just don’t order too many of those fruity cocktail things.”

She’d punched him, ‘cause he knew she was a girl that preferred beer to anything over elaborate. “Shall I skip dessert, too?”

He’d grinned, and pulled her close. “Nah, I know how much you like your ice-cream.”

“This place won’t have ice-cream. It’ll be sorbets or granitas,” she’d replied and smirked at his confusion.)

 

She couldn’t hang around in the street and wait for him to reappear, so whatever Keishin was doing in a jewellery shop was going to have to remain a mystery.

But as she drove off, wending her way through the cars, she prayed to whatever deity was up there, that he’d taken his watch in for repair.

‘Cause she didn’t want to consider the alternative.

 

“Hey, you look good,” Saeko said, sauntering into the room.

Keishin was in the lounge talking to Ryuu about the prospects for next year, dressed in his best clothes - smart black trousers, a pressed pale green shirt, and even a tie tight against his neck, which she knew he was aching to rip off.

“Whoa,” he murmured, looking up at her and smiling so appreciatively that she was pleased she’d dug out her off-the-shoulder, red velvet dress and spent more time than usual on her hair. “You look amazing.”

“No need to sound so surprised,” she replied as she scanned the room for her high heels, which she knew she’d kicked off in a corner somewhere.

He turned to Ryuu and grimaced. “That’s what happens when you pay a girl a compliment, Tanaka-kun. They never take it well.”

“Don’t listen to him, Ryuu-chan,” she replied, and hauled Keishin to his feet. “He knows nothin’!”

“Uh ... okay,” Ryuu muttered and fumbled for the TV remote control, avoiding the looks they were both giving him.

She was still laughing as she reached up to grab her coat, still giggling when she wound the scarf round her neck, and smiling when she stooped down to pick up Keishin’s jacket that had fallen off the coat hook.

And then she stopped because as she held the jacket, she caught sight of something in his inner pocket. It was small. It was square. And it was a box. A small black, with gold embossed edges, jewellery box. The sort of box that might hold a ring.

So it wasn’t his watch taken in for repair.

_Oh, Keishin, please don’t do this_.

How she made it to the restaurant, Saeko didn’t know. It was cold outside, winter had arrived early and stuck around extra hard, with snow threatening to fall and a chill wind nipping them both.  But all she could think about as Keishin pulled her close to warm her with his arms, was that the box, that tiny box, was poking into her side, making her uncomfortable in more ways than one.

A ring.  An engagement ring. It wasn’t even a tradition to buy one in Japan, but then again, they were a couple who liked to buck tradition. So maybe he’d thought ...

But she didn’t want to be married. She didn’t even want to get engaged because as soon as that happened, people made assumptions, and Saeko wasn’t ready for that.  It wasn’t that she didn’t love Keishin. She’d not said it, and neither had he, but she kinda thought he knew, just as she kinda knew that he loved her.

Well, she hoped he did. But then, if he loved her, her refusal would hit him harder.

 If she did refuse.

What was she thinking? Of course, she’d refuse!

She was too young, there were things she wanted to do, places she was desperate to see, and there was Ryuu. No way could she leave Ryuu, not yet.

But if she said no, then what the hell would that do to her and Keishin?  He’d be hurt, that much she knew, and what if he took it really personally (of course he would!).  Jeez, how could they carry on with her refusal between them?

_Why, why, why are you doin’ this? We’re great as we are. What’s the point in ruinin’ what we got?_ she agonised.

“You’re very quiet,” he murmured, guiding her through the door and into the warmth. “You all right?”

“Uh ... fine. Just thinkin’.” She swallowed. “We’re ... uh ... okay, ain’t we, Keishin?”

“Yeah,” he said warily. “We’re okay. Well, I am if you are, and I’m hopin’ you are, ‘cause I booked us a table at this place, and the food’s supposed to be great, so ...”

“Why?”

“Hmm?”

“Why d’ya book this place?” she asked.

“Uh ...” He shrugged. “I dunno.  I heard it was good.”

“It’s expensive!”

“It’s Valentine’s Day _and_ our anniversary,” he explained, then stepped back as a stuffy looking waiter waddled towards them to take Saeko’s coat.

“What anniversary?”

Keishin rolled his eyes, as if exasperated, then grinned at her. “Eight months ago you came into the store and bought lollipops,” he reminded her.

“Oh.” Saeko cocked her head, trying to remember. “Ain’t that next week?”

“No,” he insisted, and flipped her on the nose. “I thought girls were supposed to be good at these things.”

“I ain’t most girls,” Saeko muttered, and then she took a breath. “You know that, Keish, don’tcha? Like, I ain’t a girl who ... uh ... wants what a lot of girls want outta life.”

“Is this your way of tellin’ me that ya don’t like eatin’ or drinkin’ or somethin’?” he asked, looking confused.

She said nothing more because now the waiter was showing them to their table, and she really didn’t want to go into it while he was flapping over them.

“How’s the team doin’?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No volleyball talk tonight.”

“I already heard ya talking to Ryuu.”

“’Cause that’s Ryuu, and I ain’t got much else to talk to him about,” he replied. “He don’t want me talkin’ ‘bout his sis, does he?” Keishin winked and smiled his crooked smile, the one that made her insides churn in anticipation. “Tonight’s about ... uh ... us. Saeko ... I ... uh ...”

_No, no, don’t do this._ Then she breathed, because Keishin’s jacket was in the cloakroom, so there was no way he could go down on bended knee, or whatever scenario he’d planned. He’d look dumb without the ring, so she could relax. They could order drinks and food and maybe he’d forget, or she could work out a way to give him the brush off without hurtin’ his feelings.

“Hey, anyone there?”

“Huh?”

“You’re spacin’ out on me, Sae-chan. Whassup?”

“Nothin’. Just ... uh ... real hungry I guess. And ... um ... thirsty.” Grabbing the menu, she studied it with no real care and gabbled out her choices. Then she froze because everything on the menu was so expensive, and Keishin was obviously trying his best to make this special.

He took her hand. “What _is_ up with ya? We got all the time in the world here. Order a drink, and relax.”

“I can’t do this,” she blurted out, and dashed away the sudden tears that had formed in her eyes.

“Uh... what? Ya can’t order a drink?”

“You’re tryin’ real hard,” she sobbed. “And I know why. And, Keish, honey, I love ya and all that, but I can’t go-”

“You love me?” he yelped.

“Uh ... yeah, and that makes it worse ‘cause-”

Keishin’s face creaked into a smile, a smile so wide his face was split in two. “You _love_ me!”

“I said so, didn’t I?” she muttered. “And I don’t wanna hurt ya-”

“But this is great!” he exclaimed and started to laugh. “’Cause I really love ya, Saeko Tanaka, and I’ve wanted to tell ya before, but it just kinda ... it never felt right. I thought ... Hell, I thought you’d run a mile if I told ya.” Then he frowned. “Whaddyer mean ya don’t wanna hurt me?”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, barely able to speak, “but I –”  It was no good, she couldn’t come out and say it.

“Why are we here?” she asked disconsolately. “Eight months is an odd sort of anniversary to celebrate.”

He nodded. “Yeah, but I kinda thought you’d like that, bein’ an odd sorta girl.”

“Hey!”

“Unconventional,” he amended. “And so ... speakin’ of unconventional ... I was gonna do this at the end of the meal, but ...”

And then, he reached into his the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the small plush box.

_Oh hell, he transferred it when I wasn’t looking. Oh gods, Keish, don’t do this._

“Saeko Tanaka,” he said softly. “You’re the best thing to have happened in my life for a very long time and I –”

“No, don’t do this,” she pleaded.

He shook his head. “Saeko, I don’t know what ya gettin’ so steamed about, but if I want to get my girlfriend a present, especially one who’s just declared she loves me, then I think I got that right, ain’t I?” 

Placing the box on the table, he nudged it towards her. “Open up. Ya might just like it.”

_No bloody ring, however big the diamond,  is gonna sway me._ Grimly, she picked up the box and opened it up.

“OH MY!” It was her turn to yelp, and then to grin, and then to laugh raucously through the room. “EARRINGS!”

“Uh-huh. I got ya six of ‘em.”

“They’re drums!”

“And drumsticks, yeah.” He took her hand, bestowing a kiss on each of her fingers, lingering on the third. “One day, maybe, possibly, and only if ya want, then I might get around to placin’ somethin’ on that finger, but ... uh ... I kinda like the way we are, Saeko. Is that okay?”

“It’s perfect,” she breathed, and leaning across the table, ignoring the disapproving glares of the other diners, she kissed him thoroughly on the lips.


End file.
